The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-11-09
A GREAT THOROUGHFARE.
A GLANCE AT BROADWAY, NEW
YoRKS GREATEST ARTERY.
Striking Events of the Past Thirty
Years-An Ever-Shifting Pano-
ramaABroadway at Night.

'Mhat was the most striking scene
you have seen on Broadway" was asked
of several old New Workers the other
day. Each had looked at the rapidly
shifting panorama to discover something
that the other did not seem to have no.
ticed. 1.-THE most remarkable scene l
ever held beheld there" answered one,
''was Stephen A. Douglas, speaking
from the balcony of the Irving House, at
the corner of Broadway and Chambers
street, in 1854, Just after the passage Of
the Kansas Nebraska bill. There was
the great Republican torchlight process
sion in 1851 in honor of Abe Lincoln, in
which 'Wideawakes' from every State
participated. Those from Maine were
six feet in height There was q
marked contrast between that gay
spectacle and the gloomy sight at
Lincoln's funeral. Never have build
ings been so heavily drapped in black
as they were then. The parade of the
Atlantic Cable celebration in 1859 was
another notable scene on Broadway,
and as the crowd moved along they
looked up to see the dome of the City
Hall aire from the illuminations. A pro-
cession two and half miles long moved
along Broadway at the Worlds Fair
parade A storm came up and swept
over part of the city Half Of the men in
line were drcnched TO the skin while the
other half of the column escaped without
having the dust laid on their garments.
The funeral cortege that followed the re-
mains of Fanny Parnell was a weird
sight as it moved along Broadway at
night. Then there was the carnival,
which proved a failure. The Rex of the
pageant was young brewer, who is said
to have paid S., 600 for the privilege of
assuming the role as an advertisement of
his BUSH
When he speaker had told of these
and other scenes, grave and gay, that he
had witnessed on Broadway, another
man was asked what was the most
notable incident that he ever saw there.
lie said: ut was Lucille Western, walk
ing up the street and rehearsing her part
rs she went. People who did not know
her took her to be crazy, and her violent
gestures and earnest mutterings were
well calculated to create that impression.
You would be surprised to note the num-
Der of persons who talk to themselves as
they walk along Broadway. They are as
oblivious to their surroundings and as
The student of Broadway walked up
the street one forenoon last week looking
for striking modern scenes. The side
walks have never been so blockaded with
boxes and bales and the tver welcome
rural visitors. The latter are mentioned
advisedly. You can tell a stranger to
New York by the slow and confused
manner in which he makes his way
IL
keeps to the right and goes with rush.
slipping in and out of the crowds with
skill born of experience. A stranger
will take the wrong side of the walk,
stop to look in at a window and impede
the progress of thousand hurrying pc
destrians. Owing to one of these
blockades the student turned out into
the street. A truck loaded with barrels
of ofPrussian blue had been mixed up in
blockade there and a barrel OF the
powder scattered on the street. The
student trod on it and frescoed his boots
gaudy blue. A few blocks farther on
boy carrying paper of red lead was en-
countered He let it drop on the side
walk and some of the stuff decorated the
students boots, which were thus given a
truly startling effect. He stopped to have
his boots cleaned at a stand kept by an
Italian who wore cap with a tortoise shell
forepiece, head covering, by the way,
that certain Italian dudes greatly crave.
The Italian had polished only one boot,
when he looked up, saw people running
in all directions and followed their ex-
ample. Z dog supposed to be mad was
da>hing along the street. The student
went away from there Miraculously
enough, policeman managed to shoot
the dog at the second shot and peace was
restored. The student finally got his
other shoe polished and continued his
march. The ruins of a big toy store on
the north side of the street that recently
burned with loss of life are being re-
moved. In front of this place stood 200
Italian women and children. The wo-
men wore the awning-like head covering
of their native costume, and great gold
hoops or pendants in their ears. When
the workmen would throw piece of
charred wood or a half burned bundle of
paper on the street, the women and
children would rush forward and
scramble for the prize. They completely
blockaded the sidewalk. One woman,
who was carrying big bundle of charred
wood on her head, collided with a man,
and her bundle toppled backwards and
struck the student on the feet, running
the polish on his boots and causing him
TO hop about with agony.
When he had recovered from the acci-
dent the student continued his march.
There is one house on busy Broadway,
between the Battery and Union Square.
1t has steadily resisted the encroachments
of commerce. Great stone pillars extend
from foundation TO roof of the tall
stone mansion. 1t is said that its blinds
are always closed, and, although it is
occupied, it looks deserted and grim.
The student walked On mile after mile
until he passed One Hundred and Twen-
ty-cighth street. Then he began TO en-
ter the strangest part Of Broadway.
Quaint old tumble down buildings flank
IT, grass is growing in the interstices
between the tagging and the sidewalk.
great trees that were planted by the
Dutch are seen here and there, at one
point an old board fence is built en-
trey across the street. The student
stopped at this fence, turned back and
took train for home. Night came on
and at midnight he visited that portion OF
Broadway between Grand and Twelfth
streets. The crowds that had blockaded
the sidewalks were gone. At O'Clock